Following the sign of the shell on St. James' Way – Germany is a wonderful place for pilgrimages

Going on a traditional pilgrimage, taking a self-initiated time-out, following well-trodden roads to self-discovery – it's an adventure for body, mind and soul. Those who don't have the time or energy for a long trek can try a 'taster tour' and get a feel for what it's like to go on a pilgrimage.

The route, approx. 300km in length and clearly marked with the Loccum Cistercian cross, passes through a harmonious landscape of hills and unspoilt countryside and connects the two ancient Cistercian abbeys of Loccum and Volkenroda.

One theme and one event connects 1,200 kilometres across the federal states of Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony. The Luther Trail is part of the Luther Decade culminating in 2017, which marks 500 years since Luther nailed his theses to the church door in 1517 – the anniversary of the Reformation.

The scenery of Upper Bavaria is divinely beautiful and the 85km Meditation Trail, right at the foot of the mystical Ammergau Alps, offers a wonderful opportunity for walking meditation, spiritual contemplation and pilgrimage. It runs from the Wieskirche Church to Linderhof Palace with many cultural treasures along the way.

People cycling along the 342km Monks' Trail are following a centuries-old tradition: welcome to a modern style of pilgrimage from Glücksstadt on the River Elbe to the island of Fehmarn in the Baltic Sea.

There are a number of pilgrimage routes all over Europe that lead to the grave of the apostle James in Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The scenic Palatinate Forest is home to two such routes that cover almost 300km from the pilgrimage town of Speyer to the Benedictine abbey in Hornbach.

Via Claudia Augusta – the name of the only Roman road crossing the Alps has a wonderful ring to it. This well signposted, unforgettable trail takes you from the Danube to the Alps, covering more than 500km in Germany.

The Via Nova Pilgrimage Route runs approx. 280km from Bogen in Lower Bavaria, across the Salzburg lakeland, to St. Wolfgang in Austria. In days gone by, pilgrims used to carry a cross with them. Today, travellers on this modern pilgrimage trail are more likely to be carrying a lightweight rucksack.

Travel on foot, in a carriage or by bike on the 500km Historic Oxen Trail, an old trade and pilgrimage route through Schleswig and Holstein to Denmark and the land of Vikings and Norsemen. FIRSTSPIRIT_LINK

This wonderful pilgrimage route runs for nearly 300km through Brandenburg following in the footsteps of German poet Theodor Fontane. It takes you from the former Cistercian abbey in Chorin near Eberswalde to the Church of Our Lady in Dresden . The route is an opportunity for inner reflection but also for enjoying life's pleasures!

The approx. 300km ecumenical pilgrimage route uses the historical trail that the Cistercian monks followed in 1133 when leaving the main abbey in Volkenroda, Thuringia, to go to the affiliated abbey in Waldsassen, Bavaria.

The three well-signposted Elisabeth Paths are pilgrim routes suitable for walking and cycling that retrace the steps taken by St. Elisabeth in medieval times. They start in Frankfurt , Eisenach and Cologne and all have the same destination: St. Elisabeth's Church in Marburg.

This delightful pilgrimage trail dedicated to St. Crescentia Hoess follows an almost 90km route through the idyllic Alpine foothills of the Eastern and Lower Allgäu. Starting in Kaufbeuren, it passes through Ottobeuren before reaching Mindelheim, linking places that played a significant role in the life of the nun Maria Crescentia.

Set amid varied countryside, the well-signposted 185km St. Boniface Route takes in fascinating places of interest as it makes its way from Mainz to Fulda, two episcopal cities with impressive cathedrals. .

The 350km St. Bridget's Trail runs from Stralsund on the Baltic coast to Lüneburg Heath. It follows a section of the route that Sweden's patron saint Bridget took during the pilgrimage that she made to Santiago de Compostela with her husband in 1341.

Starting at the Deutsches Eck in Koblenz, the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Middle Rhine Valley , the over 500km Wine Route offers an adventure for pilgrims as it wends its way through romantic Rhineland scenery to the lakeside town of Constance.

Opened in 2008, this pilgrimage route of around 50km from Erfurt to the ruins of Paulinzella Abbey passes some of Thuringia's most special attractions and follows in the footsteps of St. Elisabeth, St. Walburga and St. Paulina.